 | Over the past decade LabWare has worked extensively with key people in the tobacco industry in both R&D and manufacturing laboratories. Typically these systems are deployed worldwide and monitor the quality of the final product, the tobacco leaves, the manufacturing components such as paper, filters, flavors and conditioners, and the packaging materials. The data recorded by LIMS contains a wide range of analytical techniques ranging from gas chromatography, NMR and mass spectrometry to physical testing such as diameter, thickness, stiffness and color. Typically, quality control and assurance is maintained at a corporate level and the brand quality and consistency becomes a key driver in the industry. The volumes of production and testing are very large and involve the automated testing at locally based laboratories around the world. Within a given tobacco plant the testing is usually performed at a number of small labs and test stations distributed at several locations with a number of online analyzers sending data directly into LIMS. The routine testing procedures within LabWare LIMS makes the installation of these systems relatively simple. Initial system implementations can be carried out in a 3-4 month period with additional national sites being rolled out in about four weeks.
By contrast the R&D laboratories are usually located at a few key sites worldwide with large numbers of people and instruments. In these areas LabWare LIMS excels at the wide range of testing and the continuous need to develop new products and ways of doing things. The system flexibility allows these companies to adapt to their ever-changing business needs.
In routine moisture testing as well as in other high throughput testing, bar code technology is used to keep track of the tins, samples and calibration standards. A number of different smoking machines have been integrated with our LIMS as well as integration to ERP systems such as SAP and JD Edwards.
LabWare now supplies, out-of-the-box, most of the requirements of a corporate tobacco quality system including leaf management, production quality, material quality, visual inspection and infestation management. The ability to deploy these systems from a central database offers tobacco companies many benefits of standardization, system support and the maintaining brand quality even in remote regions of the world.
LabWare LIMS functions equally well in centralized or decentralized deployments, and offers a variety of tools for synchronizing and controlling business rules and data definition across a distributed enterprise.
Our customers benefit from a high degree of investment protection. LabWare LIMS adheres to technology standards yet avoids brand dependencies. As a result, our solutions are hardware, operating system and database independent. The LabWare LIMS Client runs on any contemporary MS Windows variant, the Server component may be installed on anything from Windows to UNIX to Linux, and it may utilize any relational database from Oracle to SQL Server to DB2.
Industry surveys grade LabWare highest in overall value for good reason. Our product packaging and licensing are straightforward, and are based on a comprehensive single license without the complexity and inflated cost associated with optional modules and plug-ins. Capabilities such lot management, instrument integration, analyst training, instrument calibration and maintenance, and reagents inventory, are all included in an integrated and highly configurable package. LabWare then provides a full range of training and consultative services to assist in adapting the system to conform to and enhance your business processes, all accomplished without any invasive changes to the software. As a result, your system is ready for productive use more quickly, and may be implemented more effectively.
LIMS is a mission critical application within your business, and LabWare recognizes that implementation of your LIMS is a rewarding yet demanding process. Our goal with every customer is to assure long-term success and payback. This is accomplished not only with the project services just described, but also through the provision of a strong after care program. Our customers benefit from an aggressive program of product improvement, as well as from a responsive technical support service. Revisions and enhancements are made available periodically based on a modular release methodology, enabling customers to add to the utility of their installed systems with minimal validation burden or disruption to their ongoing operations. Technical support is offered through a consistent and cohesive global support channel, and includes LabWare experts available by telephone as well as on-line resources accessible over the web. |